Fatal Desire

Chapter 3 Is Song Xi a member of the Zhao family?

After a two-second pause, Song Xi pondered and said, "We met once, and he seemed quite busy."

I only said one word to her.

Like a babbling baby, it can only utter the monosyllabic word "um".

Could it be that Zhao Yansen's language system is malfunctioning?

Otherwise, how could he be so sparing with his words towards her?
*
The blizzard subsided overnight, and the next day the sky was clear and bright.

Upon waking in the early morning, Song Xi stood by the window and looked out. The Chinese scholar tree in the courtyard was shedding its leaves, which were scattered all over the ground. Several servants were bending over and sweeping the central courtyard.

The air in the capital city was crisp and clear in the dead of winter. She tilted her head back and took a shallow breath.

The chill was biting, and in an instant it swept through my internal organs.

After wandering for several years, I finally feel the sense of peace that my soul has returned to my motherland.

"Ding--"

My phone beeped with a new message notification.

Qin Fanghao: [7 PM, Nightscape Club, don't forget!]

As night falls, the lights are on.

Song Xi went to Night Realm Club at the agreed time.

In the bar's private room, Qin Fanghao and Shang Shixu arrived early and opened two bottles of Louis XIII for a lively conversation.

Shang Shixu grew up in Shanghai and rarely saw such a heavy snowfall, so he couldn't help but sigh.

Qin Fanghao scoffed: "What's so exciting about snow? It's not like it's snowing men."

Just then, the door was slowly pushed open from the outside.

Song Xi's clear voice rang out: "What's so good about men? It's better to invest."

"She started working as soon as she returned to China. She truly deserves to be called our talented and beautiful CEO Xi."

Qin Fanghao opened his arms and gave Song Xi a big hug: "Welcome back."

"It's like we haven't seen each other for years." Song Xi hugged her back. "We just met last month, and you're already so sentimental. Have you given up being a movie queen and become an artsy young man?"

Qin Fang smiled brightly: "When you went abroad back then, I thought you would never come back. So what if I'm excited now that you're back? Besides, being a movie star and being an artsy youth don't conflict, do they?"

Qin Fanghao turned to look at Shang Shixu and said, "Give me your opinion."

Shang Shixu pretended to pound his chest and sigh, "My bland and uneventful life has been made vibrant and exciting by your deadly questions."

Upon seeing this, Song Xi and Qin Fanghao smiled easily.

The three of them took their seats on the sofa one by one.

The waiter brought over some fruit. Song Xi ate the Shizuoka melon casually and said to Qin Fanghao, "Didn't your period drama become popular?"

"No."

Qin Fanghao looked listless, but then her fighting spirit returned. "Although I've never been famous, I've been cheated on. I'm content!"

"Who cheated on you?" Song Xi asked.

Shang Shixu, who was standing next to her, said, "A playboy from Hong Kong Island pursued her for half a year with great fanfare, and cheated on her as soon as they agreed to be together."

"Don't even mention it, it's all so upsetting. That guy looks all grown up, but he's just a dog in heat," Qin Fanghao complained. "If he's not in heat for a day, he's dead."

Shang Shixu poured Song Xi a glass of wine and asked, "I just heard you mention investment. Do you have any ideas?"

Song Xi and Shang Shixu partnered to start a business in pharmaceutical research, focusing on chemical pharmaceuticals and innovative drugs.

The company's projects are now on track, and we are preparing to further expand the market and improve the business model. To achieve our goals, we need to secure Series A funding.

“Zhongrui is a leading pharmaceutical group in China. We can contact them.” Song Xi said calmly, “I will send you the revised project materials. Let’s pick a good day to discuss cooperation.”

"China and Switzerland are notoriously difficult to work with; many large companies want to cooperate with them." Shang Shixu adjusted his glasses with a flick of his finger. "What are our chances of success?"

Song Xi thought for a moment: "Less than 50%, but we have to give it a try." Qin Fanghao raised his glass and clinked it with his two friends: "I wish you a successful collaboration and that you make a lot of money to invest in my movie!"

Upon hearing this, Song Xi and Shang Shixu laughed.

None of the three were the quiet type. After chatting in the private room for a while, they got up and went to the dance floor to have some fun.

The dim, eerie blue-purple lights illuminated the people dancing in the dance floor, creating a noisy and unrestrained atmosphere.

Song Xi felt a bit unwell in her stomach, so she didn't go to the dance floor. Instead, she sat at the bar and ordered some fries to slowly fill her stomach.

Halfway through the meal, my stomach started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

She picked up her phone, intending to send a message to Qin Fanghao and Shang Shixu to say goodbye, when she suddenly heard a flippant voice in her ear.

"Miss, would you do me the honor of having a drink with me?"

Song Xi looked in the direction of the sound, discreetly sizing up the person in front of him.

The man was dressed in expensive clothes, and wore a Richard Mille watch on his wrist. Judging from its special style, it seemed to be a centennial edition. It is said that this watch is currently sold by bookmakers in Hong Kong Island.

Song Xi coldly but politely refused: "Sorry, I have a boyfriend."

To everyone's surprise, Zhuang Xuecheng didn't give up and laughed even more frivolously: "I just want to make friends with you, but if you have other ideas, I can consider them."

Song Xi felt unwell and really didn't want to get entangled with him. She picked up her phone and turned to leave, but Zhuang Xuecheng grabbed her wrist.

“Miss, it seems you don’t know who I am.” Zhuang Xuecheng introduced himself in a seemingly gentlemanly manner, “My surname is Zhuang, and my given name is Xuecheng.”

Song Xi hadn't been back to China for so long that he didn't even know the powerful families of Beijing, let alone the bookmakers in Hong Kong.

She felt a slight, dull pain in her stomach. As she struggled to break free, she raised her foot and kicked Zhuang Xuecheng hard in the shin without any hesitation.

Zhuang Xuecheng hadn't expected that the seemingly docile and gentle girl would be so aggressive, and he almost fell to his knees in a sorry state due to the suddenness of the attack.

He lost his balance, and the wine glass in his hand crashed to the ground with a loud bang. In an instant, it shattered into shards of glass, reflecting a blinding glint of light.

Zhuang Xuecheng was furious and was about to retaliate when wine was splashed from his side, the cold liquid running down his face.

His hair was wet, and he looked extremely disheveled.

"Are you alright?" Qin Fanghao asked with concern as she took Song Xi's arm after spilling the wine.

Zhuang Xuecheng recognized Qin Fanghao's face and shouted through gritted teeth, "Qin Fanghao!"

“The dog in heat I mentioned earlier is him,” Qin Fanghao said to Song Xi.

Song Xi glanced around and saw a large crowd of onlookers. Just as she was pondering how to handle the situation, Shang Shixu and a middle-aged man in a suit walked over.

The middle-aged man said something to Zhuang Xuecheng, and Zhuang Xuecheng's face changed from red to white, then to green, and finally he bowed and smiled apologetically.

"The people you called?" Qin Fanghao asked Shang Shixu.

"No." Shang Shixu was also unaware of the other party's identity.

Song Xi was feeling unwell and was about to go home when someone called out to her before she could even turn around. It was a middle-aged man.

"Miss Song, Mr. Zhao is in the attic. Please come up."

Upon hearing this, Song Xi stopped in her tracks.

She had remained calm and composed in the face of harassment, but upon hearing the name "Mr. Zhao," her expression faltered slightly.

Song Xi glanced upstairs, her eyes alert, as if she were facing jackals or wild beasts.

She turned her head and said to Qin Fanghao and Shang Shixu without changing her expression, "You guys have fun, I'm going to find someone."

Shang Shixu was unaware of Song Xi's identity and asked, "Who is Mr. Zhao?"

"The rightful heir of the Zhao family." Qin Fanghao was in a very good mood after splashing wine on the scumbag. "Song Xi's brother."

Within the circle, everyone knows the Zhao family, who sits at the top of the power pyramid in Beijing, an unattainable existence.

Shang Shixu's eyes were filled with astonishment, "Song Xi is a member of the Zhao family!?"

(End of this chapter)